The USPS has indicated that they have requested approval for yet another mobile barcode promotion from the PRC; this one is called the Holiday Mobile Shopping Promotion and is scheduled to take place during this year’s holiday shopping season in November and December.
The promotion offers commercial mailers a two percent (2%) upfront discount on their postage when a mobile barcode is included on or inside the piece and the piece is mailed from November 7 through November 21, 2012 (the USPS is calling this the Promotion Period). Similar to this summer’s Mobile Commerce and Personalization Promotion, the barcode, when scanned, must resolve to a mobile optimized website and allows the consumers to purchase the advertised product.
As an added incentive, mailers can qualify for an additional one percent (1%) postage rebate on the pre-discount postage amount if they fulfill a required percentage (0.5%) of orders generated during the Promotion Period using USPS Priority Mail®. These orders must be fulfilled between November 9, 2012 and December 31, 2012 (called the Fulfillment Period) and must be labeled with a unique and trackable barcode, such as an Intelligent Mail Barcode or delivery confirmation barcode.
To claim the rebate, mailers would need to demonstrate that during the Fulfillment Period, the number of Priority Mail packages delivered to consumers exceeded 0.5 percent of the total number of qualifying mailpieces sent during the Promotion Period. If a mailer meets or exceeds its fulfillment threshold, an additional one percent (1%) rebate will be applied to the participant’s mailing payment account. This 1% rebate is based on the pre-discount postage amount for qualifying mailpieces sent during the Promotion Period.
This short promotion is being offered by the USPS to help ensure that direct mail continues to thrive as a marketing tool. As new online technologies continue emerge, the USPS is looking for opportunities to integrate technology with direct mail advertising and therefore improve the long-term value and health of their mail products and services.
As more details on this promotion become available we will certainly keep everyone informed. If you have any questions please contact your Dingley sales representative.
